Therapists & Coaches: The 4 Phases of a Thriving Business

What does it mean to “liftoff”?

• Make a living on your terms: you can decide to work 1 day a week or 6 days a week, to earn 1000 € per month or 5000 €. 

• To have taken off is to be able to carry your "soul business" serenely, without worrying about how to pay bills in the months to come. 

We often hear in the therapy community that it takes 3 years to create a sustainable business. This is often in the context of a "mono" activity in a practice (offering consultations only). But it can be faster because our profession is getting very popular, and we have greater opportunities to innovate and create other ways of working.

We have identified 4 phases for setting up a flourishing business for expansion. These are broad outlines that you can adapt according to your financial objectives, personal situation, and desires. Nothing is set in stone! You are in control of the development of your business and you choose the path that most appeals to you, with the possibility of bypassing certain steps and creating your path! 

Level 1 - CREATION

You offer individual appointments, possibly without having a niche, sometimes free of charge for the opportunity to practice.

You are:
- Enthusiastic about the future, but also overwhelmed by all that awaits you (a mountain!)
- Lacking confidence, sometimes struggling with imposter syndrome
- Stressed by the technical, administrative, and organizational aspects of the project 

WE RECOMMEND
- Connect with your "WHY" to stay motivated in moments of doubt: i.e. Why have you chosen this new path?
- Visualize what you would like to create professionally in the future and connect to it every day
- Learn to tell your story and refine your message: Who are you? Why do you do what you do? What are you contributing to beyond your practice? 
- Identify the contexts in which you enjoy practicing: A specific type of client? Specific issues? This will allow you to gradually find your niche and your ideal client.
- Create opportunities to talk about what you do in your daily life and practice as much as possible (even for free!)

Level 2 - DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUITY

You offer: Fee-based 1:1 sessions and are considering increasing your fees. You are thinking about diversifying your services and offering group coaching for other audiences (workshops, corporate events, etc.), signature courses, or online products.

You feel:
- Exhilarated to have your first paying clients at a fair price
- Confused about how to determine your specific niche and approach, you want to make decisions but are afraid of closing doors
- Overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do to grow, and sometimes feel like giving up

WE RECOMMEND
- Clarify your specific niche/approach: What makes you unique as a coach?
- Practice communicating your message from the heart and identify communication platforms on which you feel comfortable becoming visible
- Develop 2 or 3 simple outreach strategies that you are comfortable with
- Create a database of potential prospects/clients
- Listen to the calling of your heart and go for it: experiment with what you want to do: workshops, online products, etc.

Level 3 - PROSPERITY

You offer various types of coaching: group and individual coaching, online offers, and products. You want to share your expertise and experience acquired in recent years through training, teaching, and supervision of practitioners/therapists.

You are:
- Confident and fulfilled in your practice
- In search of personal and professional harmony
- Sometimes overwhelmed by all that you have to create and how to manage your expansion

WE RECOMMEND
- Position yourself as an expert to build your community & awareness
- Publish more content in your niche, expand your presence
- Automate your marketing- Develop online attraction and conversion strategies
- Enhance your organization with a team to stay in your zone of genius
- Explore ways you can create regular passive income
- Follow your desires: start passing on your knowledge!

Level 4 - EXPANSION

You provide a variety of support and offerings for different audiences: 1:1 consultations, training, supervision, and online programs.

You feel:
- Fulfilled, and happy about the impact you have on the world
- Secure, serene
- Sometimes overwhelmed by the level of responsibility you have and all that you have to do
- Driven by the desire to reinvent yourself and create a new vision for your business

Your challenges: to have the courage and let go of tasks that no longer satisfy you, to create something else, to expand, to delegate.

WE RECOMMEND
- Continue to pass on your knowledge & expertise: Write a book, launch a podcast to reach more people, speak on stage
- Create new products, scale your offerings
- Have a team of trusted people to delegate to
- Invest, learn how to make money with the money you earn
- Teach others in your community how you got there
- Make an assessment: do all the activities I have still resonate and please me? 

And what stage are you at right now and what direction do you want to take? 

If you are on your way to step 1 or 2 and wish to be supported in this process, you can join us in DÉCOLLE, our coaching-mentoring program dedicated to therapists who are starting!